In X-ray examination of patients, particularly patients subject to trauma during the examination procedure it is necessary that the doctors and other medical staff attending the examination have unobstructed access to one side of the table supporting the patient. All parts of the X-ray stand carrying the X-ray tube and image intensifier or other X-ray receptor must therefore extend along only one side of the patient table. But the side requiring free access may change during the procedure and prior X-ray stands suitable for trauma procedures have not been practically repositioned from one side of the table to the other. Attempts to provide freer access to the table by suspending the X-ray system from the ceiling involve expensive and extensive structural steelwork which interferes with other operating room systems such as surgical lights.
It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide an X-ray stand which is quickly and easily repositioned so as to leave either side of the patient table selectively unobstructed. A further object is to avoid the interference and expense of ceiling mounted X-ray systems.